A Message from our Youth
on the State of Hope and Opportunity in America

Setting the stage for a yearlong celebration of our Centennial milestone, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has published the results of its Youth Report To America – the largest national survey developed and administered by teens. In the Report, 46,000 young people (ages 13-18) deliver a candid message to America.

Youth across the nation are calling for America’s leaders, community officials and parents to help bridge the gap between hope and opportunity outlined in the Report. With compelling findings on topics ranging from the Iraq war to violence in schools and from education to the pursuit of the American Dream, the Report spotlights the perceptions of America’s youth.

"For the first time, youth from all over the nation, representing various racial and ethnic backgrounds, have responded in great numbers to tell the nation this: we have many hopes and dreams for our future, but we don’t always have the opportunities to realize those dreams," said Jared Garber, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne, N.J., and a Report participant. "We’ve talked with our peers and shared our hopes, values and fears in the Youth Report To America."

"After a century of serving our nation’s youth and providing a safe place for kids to learn and grow, we decided the best way for Boys & Girls Clubs of America to commemorate this Centennial landmark would be to provide a platform for our young people to express their views to the nation," said Roxanne Spillett, president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

"We will use their insights and recommendations outlined in the Youth Report To America to help devise national programs that employ advances in technology and emphasize career and leadership development. Evolving our programs to fit the needs of today’s youth sets us up to continue to provide hope and opportunity to America’s youth for another 100 years," added Spillett.

Youth Report To America Methodology
To compile the Youth Report To America, which was funded by American Express, Boys & Girls Club members helped determine questions, administered open-ended surveys to other youth in their local communities and compiled the responses into key themes. Some 46,000 youth participated. Respondents came from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, representing each region of the country. Club members reviewed and tabulated the data to make this the biggest report of its kind – ever – conducted of youth, by youth.

Youth Report to America was made possible by American Express.